BMW, the German car manufacturer, earlier this year came out with the face-lift of its ever-so-popular 3 series. The 320d that is diesel engine car has variants like Prestige, Sport Line, Luxury Line, and M Sport. The M Sport being the latest addition to this line-up. This M Sport takes cue from the M range performance sedans of BMW. But all of that is with a diesel engine. So, if you are wary of investing in diesel cars, quite understandably so, then BMW very recently came out with its petrol variants for the 3 series and 5 series cars.
Well, this past week, in search of my Estoril blue, I drove around in 320d M Sport. However, if you anticipate a lot of changes from these face-lifted versions then you might have to look quite closely. To simplify for you, I can state there are now full LED headlamp clusters, LED fog lights and revised LED daytime running lights. And the design team has played a bit with the front and rear bumpers.
The car with added refinement in tuning sails and glides without hassle. It is silk-like smooth and offers good comfort level. There is an impressive suspension system at work. And, thus the lumps and dumps around on the road can be forgotten about. Just like the earlier versions, the face-lifted 3 series makes you crouch in a low-set cabin. And, once you are there, it makes you feel comfortable with its plush leather seats. There is enough support and cushion on the seats to keep you satisfied.
The M Sport and a couple of other variants get a bigger display screen of 8.7 inches unlike the base Prestige model. There is head-up display and navigation on offer in the M Sport trim alone. There is good cabin space and a premium look to please you. What I particularly liked about it was the handling and ride quality which of course has always been a forte for all German car makers in general. The 1995cc with its eight speed Steptronic transmission gets you from 0 to 100 in around 7 seconds with a top speed of 230 km/hr. There is both automatic and manual paddle shifts on offer. And, overall the car gives you a good mileage.
However, my experience with the navigation system was not that pleasant. And, in the end, I rather did not use it. The rear seat has an air conditioning vent though it doesn’t help much to keep you cool and the floor panel is quite raised. There is no reverse camera which does make you feel sad.
The base Prestige model and topline M sport model are priced at Rs.35.9 lakh and Rs.44.5 lakh respectively.
Published - June 19, 2016 06:30 pm IST
